Compositions and methods for micro-RNA expression profiling of cancer stem cells

• Main Authors: WEINMANN, LASSE, MEISTER, GUNTER
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 23.06.2010
• Subjects: BEER; BIOCHEMISTRY; CHEMISTRY; COMPOSITIONS OR TEST PAPERS THEREFOR; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; CONDITION-RESPONSIVE CONTROL IN MICROBIOLOGICAL ORENZYMOLOGICAL PROCESSES; CULTURE MEDIA; ENZYMOLOGY; MEASURING OR TESTING PROCESSES INVOLVING ENZYMES, NUCLEICACIDS OR MICROORGANISMS; METALLURGY; MICROBIOLOGY; MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; PROCESSES OF PREPARING SUCH COMPOSITIONS; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; SPIRITS; VINEGAR; WINE

The present invention relates compositions and methods for microRNA expression profiling of cancer stem cells. In particular, the invention relates to a diagnostic kit of molecular markers for identifying one or more cancer stem cells, the kit comprising a plurality of nucleic acid molecules, each nucleic acid molecule encoding a microRNA sequence, wherein one or more of the plurality of nucleic acid molecules are differentially expressed in the tumor stem cells and in one or more control cells, and wherein the one or more differentially expressed nucleic acid molecules together represent a nucleic acid expression signature that is indicative for the presence of cancer stem cells. The invention further relates to methods using such nucleic acid expression signatures for identifying one or more cancer stem cells in a sample as well as for preventing the proliferation and/or self-renewal of such cancer stem cells. Finally, the invention is directed to a pharmaceutical composition for the prevention of the proliferation and/or self-renewal of cancer stem cells.